Birds Don't Swim
by Djiacamo
Summary: Re-write of my previous story. Rook is a 19 year old art student who gets caught up in an adventure with the Doctor, Jack and Martha. He gets thrown in the deep end and he can't swim. Jack/OC and Ten/Martha
1. We can't go to Cardiff!

A stocky young man with unruly black spiky hair sat with his legs crossed and shoulders hunched over a pad of paper. He frowned at the paper, his arched brows coming together in the middle; he wiped his hand gently over the paper, clearing away a residue of rubber shavings. He held the piece of art up and examined it from arms length; he nodded decisively and lowered it again. A quick flourish in the corner and he had signed the drawing, now proclaiming it to be the work of Rook Turner.

He placed the pad of paper on his bedside table and yawned widely as he turned to stare blearily at the digital clock that was blinking at him from the aforementioned table. His eyes widened as he saw the time; 3 am! He knew his insomnia was bad, and when he got caught up in his art he lost all track of time, but this was ridiculous.

Rook shook his head, ran a hand through his hair and flopped down to lie on his back. He stared at the ceiling for a while before he shrugged out of his t-shirt and jeans, rolled onto his side, and let his eyes slide shut. Without opening his eyes he groped for the familiar plush touch of his wolf toys fur, he found it and drew the toy to his chest, cuddling it in tight while smiling and mumbling, "Night, Jack." He raised his hand into the air and slapped it against the wall, catching the light switch and turning it off before managing to slip into an exhausted sleep.

The Doctor, Martha and Jack all sat around the kitchen table in the TARDIS, cradling mugs of tea or coffee in their hands and chatting genially as the TARDIS floated through space. Jack moved to take a sip of coffee when the TARDIS jolted sharply, spilling the dark, aromatic liquid all over the Captain and the kitchen table. He cursed loudly and jumped up, while Martha and the Doctor clung to the small table and rode out the shudders of the TARDIS.

The three companions shared significant looks and pushed over their chairs as they struggled out of their seats, all making a mad dash to the central hub of the TARDIS. The Doctor and Jack crowded each other as they both stared at the little computer screen on the central column, Martha watching from a safe distance, she absently patted one of the coral-like columns reassuringly, whether for her benefit or the TARDIS's she wasn't sure.

The Doctor frowned at the display in confusion, "It can't be!" He exclaimed, his words trailing into rambling mumbles un-intelligible to Jack and Martha. Jack stared at the computer screen, trying to discern the exact meanings of the geometric Gallifreyan language. Martha raised her eyebrows at the Doctor, her dark eyes following him as he paced, "What, Doctor?" She asked, desiring the usual explanation.

He looked up, his chocolate eyes meeting her darker brown, "We're being pulled in by something. It's pulling us towards Earth, Cardiff, 2009. I don't know what's there but something is calling the TARDIS, she's fighting it, that's why she's all loud and jerky, the signal is too strong." Martha shared a worried look with the Doctor and rubbed the column she was still leaning on, cooing softly to the TARDIS.

Jack had frozen at the mention of Cardiff 2009; he turned to face the Doctor sharply. "We can't go to Cardiff!" The Doctor raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "Nothing I can do Jack, the TARDIS is being pulled, we'll have to refuel anyway, her efforts at resisting are exhausting her." Jack gave the Doctor a stricken look before hanging his head and walking away from the central hub and slumping down into the tiny driver's seat.

A low and reverberating rumble permeated the air of the darkened streets around the bay area of Cardiff. Many early risers looking to the clear sky with confusion, and many peacefully sleeping residents of the nearby apartments waking or rolling over in their sleep as they were disturbed by the odd vibrating rumble.

One young lad rolled over and nearly opened his eyes as the rumble filled his room, accompanied by the wailing sound of distressed time engines. As the rumble and the wailing quieted and the air of his room stilled, Rook buried himself further into his pillows, clutched Jack the wolf closer to his chest and sighed sleepily before drifting back into deep sleep, completely unaware of the large blue box occupying a large part of his room, or the adventure that was about to unfold before him.


	2. Damn!

With a resounding crash the TARDIS halted, sending the three time travellers sprawling. They looked up from their prone positions on the floor and glanced at each other, all looking worried and failing to conceal the excitement that always accompanied a TARDIS landing.

The Doctor sprang to his feet and hop-skipped to the doors, glancing back at Jack and Martha, both now pulling themselves up off of the floor. He pushed the door open slowly, quite prepared to duck behind it if necessary, and found his eyes roving around a fairly sizeable bedroom. He scanned the room and found no signs of danger, he stepped out of the TARDIS gingerly, his two companions close behind him.

Martha gasped as she realised they were in someone's bedroom, quickly turning to the Doctor to enquire as to how they had ended up there. He saw her movement and held a finger to his lips, raising his eyebrows and looking pointedly over at the low bed in the corner and the half covered form that slept peacefully there. Martha closed her mouth quickly and nodded, her eyes wide.

Jack meanwhile was wandering around the room, surveying the walls, the decor and the rooms inhabitant, a very distinct coffee aroma following him as he went. His darting eyes took in the walls covered in artwork, the posters of bands and T.V programmes, the large book cases filled to overflowing, and the pile of DVD's propped up against one of the legs of the bed. He finally moved over to the bedside, running his eyes over the slumbering boy.

He couldn't help smiling lecherously as he examined the boy, his eyes sliding over the jet black hair, the pale skin, the slender but toned back and hips. His mind filling in for him what was hidden under a thin duvet, he also noticed the grey wolf toy that was pulled tight against the boys chest and he chuckled quietly to himself.

The Doctor glared at Jack and beckoned for him to stand with him and Martha, Jack rolled his eyes and strode over to his two friends. He whispered to them, "Looks like a young lad, no older than 20. Slim, but strong by the look of those shoulders. A budding artist and an animal fanatic judging from the content of these pictures." The Doctor nodded and whispered back, "We should leave, this is his personal space and we shouldn't be here. The TARDIS chose a strange place to land this time." He glanced at his companions who nodded, although Jacks nod was a little reluctant.

They turned to re-enter the TARDIS but found the blue door firmly closed and unwilling to budge anytime soon. A note of panic entered the Doctors face and he tried everything he could think of to get back into his TARDIS, trying to be as quiet as he could. "Damn!" He whispered furiously, "She's locked up, recovering from that fight with whatever pulled her here. She'll have to stay here, and we'll have to wait with her."

Jack grinned, managing to show every single sparkling tooth in his mouth. The Doctor gave him a warning glance and shook his head, but Jack was already pulling up the boys desk chair and seating himself in a position where he could keep an eye on the sleeping boy. The Doctor sighed and shook his head, moving over to where Martha had settled herself on a furry beanbag in a corner of the room. He sank down next to her and felt her head fall onto his shoulder, her eyes were struggling to stay open and she quickly fell asleep, her body curled around the Doctors side.

Jack winked at the Doctor who just glared back at him and mouthed the word 'asshole.' Jack simply shrugged and went back to examining the boy, leaving the Doctor to try and find a way of explaining their predicament to the boy when he woke. He sighed and rubbed his face with his free hand, knowing that this was going to go horribly wrong.


	3. Why do you reek of coffee?

Rooks peaceful dream world came crashing down as the shrill beeping of his old digital clock pierced his ears. He rolled over, eyes screwed shut and slammed his hand down on top of the clock, silencing it. He sighed contentedly and started to drift off again, a smile on his lips and his dream reforming in his mind.

Five minutes later and the shrill beeping returned. He growled as he was yet again pulled from his dream world, sitting up in bed, the duvet falling to his thighs. He took a deep breath, the smell of pencil shavings, men's deodorant and the underlay of dirty clothes assaulting his nose, oddly there was also a bitter coffee smell. In his sleep fogged logic he figured that one of the nearby cafe's was brewing early.

His hand found the clock again and he glared at it, the flashing display telling him that it was half past six in the morning. He didn't know why he tortured himself like this on weekends; he didn't need to be up, he had no job and no college on weekends. Seemed it was just a bad habit he should really break.

Nevertheless he rolled out of bed and started searching the floor for a clean pair of socks, his dark green boxers his only clothing so far. His sleep blurred eyes found the cleanest pair of socks he had and he crowed with triumph, sitting down heavily on his bed and yanking them on, he didn't care that they were odd.

He looked up, rubbed his eyes to clear them of the sticky residue of sleep and looked for the jeans he had draped over his desk chair the afternoon before. His eyes travelled up the pair of legs that were sat in his desk chair, running over the toned tummy and chest just visible under a coffee stained white t-shirt, before stopping on the handsome face. Blue eyes gazed right back at him and a grin accompanied them.

Rook then did something he would always regret; he screamed, like a little girl, and jumped up from his bed. He backed away until he found a sturdy wall, pressing his back against it and started to hyperventilate. Something touched his hand and he screamed again, jumping like he'd been shocked and scuttling unconsciously closer to the man sat on his chair.

He stared wide eyed at the two people occupying his bean-bag and garbled in a high pitched tone, his tongue refusing to work properly. He felt a hand rest gently but firmly on his upper arm and someone said, "Hey, calm down, we won't hurt you." This didn't process and the first thing his brain did was tell him to get away.

His fist flew out in a perfectly executed reverse punch, catching the man who had touched him square on the jaw. The man in question reeled back, his hands flying to his jaw and his eyes going wide with shock. Rook smiled smugly; he felt better now, knowing he could defend himself. It was then that he heard smothered chuckles from behind him.

He looked around and caught sight of the two people on the bean-bag collapsing over each other while trying to hide their laughter. The man he had hit grumbled and made his way over to the chair again, collapsing into it and nursing his sore jaw.

Rook scowled at him, "Chuck me the jeans you're sat on. I wanna get dressed." The man scowled and disconsolately threw the jeans at Rook, this only made the other two laugh more, Rook raised an eyebrow as he pulled the jeans on, jumping to pull them over his ass. After a little digging around he found a relatively clean t-shirt and shrugged into it.

Now dressed, he stood with his hands on his hips and turned so that he could see all three strangers in his room, by now the giggles were dying down and he decided to address the important matter staring him right in the face.

"What the Hell are you doing here? Who are you? How did you get in? Why do you reek of coffee? And what is a 'police public call box'?" He growled the questions and focussed his green eyed glare on them, waiting for his answers.


	4. Great!

Rook stood waiting, his foot starting to tap against his carpeted floor, and a frown creasing his eyebrows. The three travellers sat and looked at him, all contemplating how to answer the lad. The man he had punched was the first to open his mouth but Rook spun on his heel to face him and snapped, "I don't wanna hear a word come out of your mouth! Sit there and stay quiet."

The man closed his mouth with and audible click and sullenly sunk into the chair. The tall man who was perched on the bean bag next to the woman stood up, letting her slide into the bean bag. He was lanky and towered over Rook, who had always been conscious of his shorter stature. The man offered his hand to shake and said, "I'm the Doctor, this is Martha, and the smelly one is Jack; he spilled. We're thinking of investing in a sippy cup for him." He gestured at each person as he introduced them, jabbing his finger at Jack and grinning mischievously.

Rook shook the Doctors hand and raised a sceptical eyebrow, "A pleasure, I'm sure." He drawled. The Doctor chuckled, "Please don't judge us by his behaviour. I can assure you that we are not like him." He nodded his head towards Jack as he said this. Jack scoffed and said indignantly, "Oh, Thanks a lot Doctor. Glad to know you think so highly of me!" The Doctor stooped slightly to whisper loudly to Rook, "I think you hurt more than his jaw when you punched him, I think you bruised his ego a little bit."

Rook couldn't help but laugh, he glanced over at Jack and ran an appraising eye over the man, this seemed to perk Jack up a little bit, but he deflated again when Rook quickly turned away. Martha approached the young boy and extended her hand, "Martha Jones. It's nice to meet you, and I'm sorry for the intrusion." Rook smiled at her and shook her hand. "I'm not gonna say it's ok, because it's a bit weird, but it's nice to meet you too Martha."

He leaned back to perch himself against his desk, crossed his arms over his chest and eyed all of the intruders, "I'm not entirely sure why you are all still here, and why I'm doing this, but here goes. My name is Rook Turner, I'm an art student and I'm 19 years old. Now please explain why you're in my apartment when I know I locked all the doors and windows last night?"

The Doctor and his two companions exchanged looks and nodded, he sighed and turned to Rook. "I don't know if you'll believe me, but we are time travellers. That blue box is my ship and she seems to be stuck here. I would have left as soon as we landed here, but she's locked up tight because she's recovering."

Rooks eyebrows had near enough disappeared into his hairline. "Jeez, you guys are the most inventive burglars I've ever met. Why shouldn't I phone the police right now?"This time it was Jack that spoke, "Because I can make one short phone call that would stop the police from ever responding to a call from you ever again. We're higher than the police, boy. Believe me, you don't wanna get on our bad side."

The Doctor frowned at Jack, "Just how many contacts do you have in Cardiff?" He hissed at his companion. Jack sighed and said darkly, "Too many." Martha, The Doctor and Rook all gave Jack a puzzled look.

Rook shook his head and sighed, "OK, to be honest, I'm just a little bit scared of you guys, especially him." He nodded at Jack, "I just want you out of my bedroom, out of my apartment, really, but I don't think that's gonna happen. Is it?" Rook looked pleadingly at the Doctor, recognising him as the leader of the odd trio.

The Doctor gave a small shake of his head and looked at the young man apologetically, "The TARDIS is shut down, no power at all, she won't even let me in. And I don't want to leave my TARDIS here where you'll be uncomfortable, and potentially in danger. I don't know what called me here and if it wants the technology it will try and get it at any cost."

Rook stared at the tall man in shock, "I could be in danger? Seriously?" The Doctor nodded, "I'm sorry, but it looks like you're stuck with us for the time being." Rook groaned and sank to the floor, his head in his hands, "Great!" He said lowly.


	5. Come on Squishy boy

Rook pulled the key out of his front door lock, pausing before turning around and regarding the three travellers standing outside the shop that practised business under his apartment. He was still reviewing the whirlwind tour the strangers had taken of his apartment, all of them acting like tourists while admiring his haphazard decorating and the clutter in the kitchen. It was only when he managed to shepherd them down the stairs while throwing a jacket around his shoulders and hurling a t-shirt that would barely fit at Jack, that they picked up their previous sense of urgency.

Martha smiled at him and asked "You live over an art supplies store? Isn't that a little coincidental?" Rook grinned at her, "And beneficial. I pay my rent on time and say my p's and q's, I'm the ideal tenant. I get free art supplies and tips from the owners. Plus, their kid is in the same college as me doing Graphic design."

She chuckled, "Wow, wish I had such a sweet deal." Rook simply smiled at her, before he turned to the Doctor and put his hands on his hips, "And where to now?" He demanded. The Doctor delved into a pocket and pulled out a small stick like device, while behind him Jack peeled his soggy t-shirt off, Rook took a step back and raised his eyebrows, "What're you gonna do with that?"

The Doctor looked up, shock and bemusement on his face, "It's a sonic screwdriver, it will do nothing to you unless you're secretly a robot." It was Rooks turn to stare bemusedly at the Doctor, "What?" The Doctor was already looking down at the sonic device held flat on his hand, he pressed a button three times and the screwdriver started to beep every few seconds.

Jack, newly dressed, leaned over the Doctors shoulder and stared at the screwdriver, "It's nearby." He looked up and gazed around at the area, "We're about a five minute walk away from the bay, that's the area where most alien sightings or odd occurrences happen. We should head there." The Doctor, Martha and Rook stared at him. The Doctor raised an eyebrow, and Jack coughed quietly before saying "Well, that's where the rift is, I guess that's where all the sightings occur." The Doctor and Martha shared a look before looking back at the screwdriver.

Rook turned to Jack, "Aliens? The Rift? Occurrences? What are you on about?" The taller man stood up straight, settled his long coat better on his shoulders and said in an authoritative voice, "The 21st Century is when everything changes, and you gotta be ready." Rook laughed; that line coupled with the Red Dragon FM t-shirt pulled tight across his chest just became more ridiculous, but Jack continued. "There is a rift in time and space that runs through Cardiff, more often than you know space debris, flotsam and jetsam and the odd alien comes through and lands in the way of humanity. That is what all the news reports and rumours are about; odd disappearances, killings, mutant rats, they are all alien related. Some are hostile, others not, most aren't. A lot of citizens on this planet aren't even from this planet, a lot of the UK based are in Cardiff and its environs. I know 15 that live in the surrounding areas, one that lives next door to you."

Rook glanced at the two shops either side of his apartment, he couldn't believe it of Mrs. Grace, but Mr. Ziegler must have been the alien, he always wondered what those little tusks were, and the bumps on his skin. He shook his head and looked back at Jack, understanding written all over the young lads face, "OK, so say I believe you. That means that there is an alien or alien device nearby that is calling out to your... TARDIS?" He struggled to remember what the Doctor had called the big blue box. Jack nodded, "Something like that, yeah."

Rook nodded decisively and spun on the spot, turning his body to face the end of the avenue, he put his hand in the air and commanded while walking briskly away, "Right, Follow me then." The three friends started after him and had to run a little to keep up, Martha lengthening her strides so she didn't fall behind the men. She was surprised that she had to keep up with Rook, he was no taller than her, maybe even a little shorter, but he managed to keep ahead of the lanky Doctor and heavy built Jack.

He took a sharp left and ducked into a narrow alleyway, cutting between a cafe and a music store. The Doctor and Jack skidded to a halt before following Rook, Jack having to squeeze in sideways, Martha playfully teasing him as she slowly followed the unfortunate Captain.

They emerged from the long, narrow alley and saw Rook jogging down the street, his light grey t-shirt and faded blue jeans disappearing into the fog rolling off the bay. The two men sprinted after the stocky lad, Martha trailing behind, her breath coming a little bit harder now, while her mind screamed, 'Five minute walk my ass!'

The Doctor saw a shadow looming in the mist and slowed his pace, coming to stop at the railings of a bridge that over looked the Rhoald Dhal plass on one side and the bay on the other. Jack, on the other hand, pelted full force into the indistinct figure of Rook who stood near the Doctor, a few steps away from the railings. With a shocked shout the men fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

Martha came upon the scene as Rook was persistently nudging Jack in the head with his left foot, hissing "Get off of me right now!" Jacks heavier body was effectively pinning the smaller lad to the decking of the bridge. Jack pushed himself up with a grunt and rubbed his head, "Jeez Rook, you've got a head made of stone!" The lad scowled at Jack, "Maybe. But the rest of me is squishy, and right now, you're squishing me. Get off!" He gave Jack a shove and pushed him onto his ass next to the Doctors feet. Martha snorted with laughter and extended a hand out to the younger man, "come on squishy-boy. Up you get."

Rook took Martha's hand and grinned at her, he dusted the back of his jeans off and scowled at Jack, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth and his green eyes glinting. "Well, here we are, this is the bay. You see anything odd?" He announced as he turned to face the water, his features smoothing out. The Doctor said nothing, only stared at the sky with a look of puzzlement on his face. Jack looked up from his position on the floor, Martha flicking her eyes up before shrugging and scanning the water of the bay.

Jack heaved himself up off of the floor and wandered closer to Rook, saying quietly, "Hey, is there a storm forecasted for today?" Rook frowned at him and shook his head, "No, they said it should be clear and warm after the fog and mist cleared. Why?" Jack pointed up and all of them turned their eyes skyward as a sharp electrical crackle assaulted their ears. Blue bolts streaked through the tumultuous bruised purple clouds.

"Hmm." Was the only noise to escape the Doctor before another bright blue bolt streaked through the sky. The only problem was that this bolt didn't crash through the clouds as the others had; this one streaked straight for the ground. Locking onto a group of four people congregated on a bridge overlooking a bay.

In a second the three time-travellers and the short, black haired lad were gone, not a trace of them remained. The mist started to clear and the ominous purple clouds dispersed, letting the weak morning sun shine through and start to warm the wooden boards of the bridge. Cardiff started to wake up, completely unaware of the mystery that had taken place that morning.


	6. I'm alright, ta

Rook groaned and rubbed his head as he came to, lights danced before his eyes and his body ached all over. He pushed himself off of the cold floor and settled himself on his knees, blinking repeatedly he tried to clear the techni-colour lights that still clouded his vision.

As the dancing lights faded he looked around, trying to find his three companions. It was only then that he noticed they were no longer on the bridge, the floor was damp stone and there were four rather oppressing walls looming over him. The walls, floor and ceiling looked like they had all been rudely hewn from the living rock and the only break in it was a tall, strong looking metal door with no handle.

He started to panic, his breath coming fast and shallow while his head started to spin again. A hand on his shoulder made him leap to his feet and whirl around, he cried out in shock and aimed a kick at whatever it was. His leg was caught in mid-swing by a strong hand.

"Hey, you've already punched me in the face and near broke my head with your own today, I don't need to rack up anymore injuries, thanks." Rook blinked down at Jack who was crouching on the floor, his hand still holding onto Rooks shin. The dark haired boy took a deep breath and sank back to the floor, pulling his leg away from Jack. He looked at the man, wide eyed and vulnerable, "Where are we Jack? Where's the Doctor and Martha?"

Jack sighed and plonked himself down properly, he shook his head slightly and said in a tired voice, "I don't know. I can't remember anything after the bridge. I've been shouting for the Doctor but I'm not getting anything back, so I guess he isn't here, and I'm assuming that because we are together, Martha will be with the Doctor."

Rook ran a hand over his face, his mind working over time. All he could remember was a blinding blue light and the feeling of falling. He shook his head and looked back up at Jack, now noticing that the man was wearing completely different clothes, where he had been wearing a simple white t-shirt and a dark pair of jeans, he was now clothed in a grey boiler suit. He looked down at himself and registered a similar boiler suit, only his was a darker grey, almost black.

"Where did these come from?" He asked, plucking at the rough material of his suit. Again, Jack shook his head, "No idea. I woke up and we were dressed in them." Rook shuddered and tried not to think of someone undressing him, but his vivid imagination betrayed him. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he shook himself, exclaiming wordlessly, "Blech!"

Jack looked at him sideways, eyebrows slightly raised, silently questioning the boy. Rook shrugged and said, "Just the thought of someone undressing and redressing us while we were unconscious is a bit creepy." Jack chuckled darkly, "Ah, you get used to it after a while. In my line of work it's a frequent occurrence. Of course, I'd much rather be conscious, but..." He trailed off, leaving Rook looking shocked and mildly disgusted.

The boy shook his head and pushed himself off of the floor, he dusted off his knees and headed for the door. He ran his hands over the edges and the doors surface; it was mostly smooth, except for one slim rectangular indent, like a letter box, but covered over. Jack was watching him from his seat on the floor, "What are you doing? That door is solid, there's no way we're getting out through there."

Rook threw a quick look over his shoulder; for all his faults, and there were many, the Captain looked unbelievably sexy sitting like that. He turned his head back to the door, hiding his faint blush, "At least I'm looking for a way out. Do you really wanna be stuck here forever?" Jack made a non-committal noise and tilted his head to one side, "I've been in worse situations. Really." He paused, his voice taking in a more inviting tone, "Come and sit back down Rook, we can chat."

Rook chuckled, "I'm alright, ta." He could just imagine the pout that simple sentence conjured on the older mans face. Meanwhile, he stretched on tippy toes to try and reach the top of the door, but didn't accomplish much. In his head he cursed himself for being so short and he kicked the door heavily. The noise from the impact reverberated around the empty room making both men clasp their hands to their heads. Without the support of his arms Jack fell backwards onto the floor with a solid thump.

Before the reverberations could fade a metallic 'snick' drew both men's eyes, the letterbox shape in the door was a sliding hatch that had just opened. A pair of glittering black eyes surrounded by mottled, wet azure skin glared at them. Suddenly they disappeared and were replaced by a thin lipped mouth which opened to reveal viciously pointed needle teeth. A guttural, bubbling noise emerged and they stared in shock. The mouth repeated it's noise, "HARRBBBLUGUBBBLLB!" Rook backed away from the door and sunk to the floor next to Jack.

Jack by this point had righted himself and had subconsciously moved in front of the younger lad. They both watched as the eyes returned, glared at them, moved away and the hatch was clicked shut again. Rook panted as Jack turned to him, one word escaping him: "Shit."


	7. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuune

The Doctor rubbed the side of his head as he pushed himself off the sandy floor with the other hand. He straightened his back and gazed around at the barren sandy plateau that he'd found himself on, his brown eyes scanning for landmarks and finding none.

A muffled squealing noise alerted him to the scuffling efforts of a living organism somewhere behind him. He whirled around and squinted in the harsh sunlight, discerning a dark lump half buried under the fine white sand a fair distance away. It was only when the thing screamed his name that he realised it was Martha.

He kicked himself into gear and sprinted across the sand, his converse slipping in the fine sand and quickly filling up. He ignored the added weight to his feet as he stumbled to a halt, throwing his arms forward and grabbing the nearest part of Martha, that being her waist. She was buried with her head half in the sand, one shoulder engulfed and her legs covered up to the knees.

She screamed again, not being able to see that it was him grabbing her and started, flailing around with her free arm, landing a few heavy hits to his side. "Oof! Martha, it's me. Hold still." She carried on flailing, her hearing apparently impaired by the sand, landing even more hits to his side.

Nevertheless he yanked her out of the sand, her shoulder and head coming free from the clinging granules. She took in a deep, sharp breath, pulling all the air she could into her lungs to reassure herself that she was alive. She tried to turn around, but fell flat on her butt, as her legs were still half buried. She resorted to looking up, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun with a hand.

"Doctor." She sighed his name with relief, a smile spreading across her face, "I'm so glad to see you." The Doctor grinned back at her, "Likewise Martha Jones." He offered her a hand and she wriggled free of her sandy prison. She flung her arms around the lanky man and squeezed him in a relieved hug.

They separated and she took to brushing herself down, she looked up slightly as she patted her knees, "Where are Rook and Jack?" The Doctors brow creased with worry, but a large and false grin spread across his face, "Oh, I'm sure they're fine, waiting for us on some lovely beach having the time of their lives." Martha raised an eyebrow, "Don't lie to me Doctor, I can see that worry line."

He let the grin slide into a sickly looking smile, the one he got when he was nervous or didn't know something. "Truth be told Martha, I have no idea. I don't even know where we are. But I do know that we're surrounded by sand, it's very hot and I can smell ozone." He sniffed the air loudly, turning in a full circle while digging in his jacket pocket. He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and held it towards the shimmering horizon.

Suddenly the grin came back, he shoved the sonic back in his pocket and grabbed Martha's hand, "Come on Martha, I've found the Ocean!" He shouted jubilantly before taking off, dragging his staggering companion behind him. She spluttered as she tripped along behind him, "B-b-but Doctor, I thought we were in a desert?"

He laughed, "Au contraire! I thought we were, but it seems we're in the 'dunes' of the coast. Although they're remarkably flat for dunes, and there's no dune grass, it's not a proper sand dune without dune grass. I love the word 'dune.' It sounds so long but it's actually very short; duuuuuuuuuuuuune." He rattled off his words in his typical machine gun blast while still dragging Martha.

The lanky man halted abruptly, catapulting Martha forwards a few steps, she stumbled and collapsed to the floor. The sand here was much more tightly packed and she hit the ground with a solid 'thwump.' She picked herself up off the floor this time as the Doctor was busy looking for his screwdriver again, she turned to him as she dusted her knees off, "Why don't you put it back in the same pocket? Wouldn't that be easier?" He frowned in concentration and stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth, "Nah," He smiled widely, "This way it's a challenge every time I need it." He crowed with joy as he found it and yanked it from the depths of one of his unfathomable pockets.

For reasons only known to himself he pointed the little mechanical tube at the ocean and pressed down a button. The blue bulb on top flashed brightly and the typical buzzing noise droned out of the mechanism. Martha gave him a sceptical look but stayed silent.

Suddenly an ear splitting, metallic shriek sliced through the quiet, drowning out the dim buzz of the screwdriver. Martha clapped her hands to her ears and fell to her knees, her eyes screwed shut, tears threatening to fall. The Doctor flinched, but stood stoically, staring out into the ocean where the water seemed to be bubbling and frothing.

A tall spire was rising from the centre of the roiling water, it appeared to be made of hard sea rock, covered in sea weed, algae, and coral. It rose until it appeared to pierce the clouds lazily drifting by, about a third of the way down buildings spread outwards, made of the same rock they looked like a rather odd coral reef.

The rising spire ground to a halt and the water ceased its furious movements. The Doctor lowered his screwdriver and scowled at the structure in the ocean. He grabbed Martha's elbow and hoisted her up. "Martha, this is very bad. I know where we are and if what I'm seeing is right then we are in big trouble. And if my suspicions are correct, and Jack and Rook are in there, we're in even more trouble."

She stared at him, worry and fear in her eyes. He gave the city, for that's what it was, one last look before turning away and saying, "We have to get out of here, find somewhere to hide. Come on." He guided Martha back to the dunes, leaving the dark rock city outlined against the brightly lit horizon.


End file.
